


The Things We Must

by thesometimeswarrior



Series: Hold the Fort: Pictures of Hogwarts During the Year of the Carrows [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Battle of Hogwarts, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Double Drabble, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Teacher-Student Relationship, Torture, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 11:18:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11896632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesometimeswarrior/pseuds/thesometimeswarrior
Summary: She arrives too late to do anything, but in time to see the green light from the Death Eater’s wand, to see Colin Creevey’s body crumble and fall. The curse falls off her tongue more naturally than any spell she’s ever cast.





	The Things We Must

She arrives too late to _do_ anything, but in time to see the green light from the Death Eater’s wand, to see Colin Creevey’s body crumble and fall. And it’s an automatic response, seeing this image before her—and those of the countless students she’s watched tortured and maimed and killed this year in her mind’s eye—to raise her wand toward the Death Eater, the curse falling off her tongue more naturally than any spell she’s ever cast. “ _Crucio!_ ”

He writhes on the ground, screams, and she watches, and she does not relent, _cannot_ relent, when her student is dead on the ground because of _his_ wand, when this man and his kind have infiltrated the school and _tortured_ her students all year…

Suddenly, there is a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Professor.”

She turns, realizes who is standing there, what the curse she has cast has meant in his life, and drops her wand as though it has burnt her. “Forgive me, Mr. Longbottom.”

“Don’t.” Neville shakes his head as he Stuns the Death Eater. “We do what we have to, in war.”

Then, he bends down and hands her back her wand before closing Colin’s unseeing eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I love comments!


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